What’s behind these concerns?

Both physical threats, including assaults and property crimes, and online cyber threats are on the rise. Institutions have become a major target for phishing attacks, ransomware, and data theft – with higher education institutions accounting for 17% of all data breaches where personal information is stolen. Only the medical sector is victimized at a higher rate¹. Safeguarding physical and digital security on campus is more critical and complex than ever before.

Higher education institutions need powerful, comprehensive security solutions to reduce risk by more proactively addressing cyber security and physical safety threats.

Why is an end-to-end approach important?

In a world of internet-connected smart devices (IoT), cyber and physical security are increasingly connected. Access systems, security cameras, and even telephone systems are often controlled through an organization’s network, leaving the network vulnerable to attack if not protected. Consider the case of the former computer science student who launched a botnet attack on a large university computer network: implanting malware on security cameras and other IoT devices, this hacker caused one of worst outages in the history of the internet by launching denial of service attacks on service providers and websites, and demanding Bitcoin payment for their release.

Ensuring that the right people have the right access to the right physical spaces and digital information is also important. If a student’s identity is logged in from one location and then, three minutes later, the same student ID card is trying to access a resident hall on the main campus hours away, an increased layer of security is required.

A campus imperative

As the lines of separation between the digital and physical worlds continue to blur, it’s imperative that universities have a planned approach to security that considers how to both protect information online and ensure a safe campus environment.

Microsoft can help with smart cloud technology that integrates physical and cyber security. Microsoft’s Smart and Secure Campus solutions combine security and threat protection with sophisticated artificial intelligence that works seamlessly in the background — sharing intelligence and working smarter to automatically address and remediate security threats online.

To learn more, download the Smart and Secure Campus e-book.

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